Surface decorating machine



R. R. RUDOLPH ETAL 3,127,833

SURFACE DECORATING MACHINE April 7, 1964 Filed Feb. 6

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS M WA April 7, 1964 R. R. RUDOLPH ETAL 3,127,833

SURFACE DECORATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1963 5 h sh 2 BY 0A 61/ (q 7- rae 11.5 7.

United States Patent 3,127,833 SURFACE DECGRATING MACHLJE Rome R. Rudolph, Gihsonia, and Carl Strutz, S12, Carl J. Strutz, 3L, and Frank e. Strutz, Mars, Pa., assignors to Carl Strutz & (30., Inc., Valencia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 256,767 Claims. (Cl. 101-126) This invention relates generally to a surface decorating machine, and more specifically to a surface decorating machine of the silk-screen type for applying paint or other liquid materials to surfaces of objects such as bottles, particularly square bottles.

It is common practice to embellish or mark bottles or objects with distinctive patterns for advertisement of brand names and marks of a supplier. In the dairy industry, for example, milk bottles are decorated with painted ornamental designs and dairy names. It is known that the process of marking or labeling bottles may be accomplished by the silk-screen process wherein a screen of silk has its surface rendered non-porous to paint except in those areas which delineate or comprise the marking. Paint applied to the latter areas passes through the silk onto any surface in contact with the screen.

Screen-type machines of the general nature of the present invention have been developed such as that disclosed by US. Patent No. 2,383,947 to P. Wensel et al. which issued September 4, 1945. The Wensel et al. decorating machine, not unlike the instant invention, functions to decorate the opposite sides of square bottles by the simultaneous movement of screens, mounted on screen frames, into surface contact with the bottle sides after which application of decorating material such as paint is wiped onto the screens by simultaneous vertical movement of squeegees carrying the paint. The screen movement of the Wensel et al. machine is a swinging motion about horizontally spaced, vertical parallel axes. The jaw-like action of the patented machine screens limits the feeding of a bottle and its subsequent removal along a single horizontal axis toward and from the machine front, and, because of the machine bottle station arrangement, an operator cannot grasp the decorated bottle by its unmarked or dry sides to remove it from the machine. Instead, an operator must grasp the bottle either by its neck or unmarked portions of its decorated sides, making loading and unloading of the machine a somewhat cumbersome procedure.

By the unique conception of the present invention screen frame travel is along straight lines as opposed to swinging movement. Not only is a more positive contact by screens with opposite sides of an object or bottle made possible, but also an operator may place and then remove a bottle from a decorating station of the machine by handling opposed undecorated sides of the bottle. Further, the bottle may be positioned and taken from the machine decorating station without hesitancy because of the accessibility of the bottle at the station by the lack of machine elements proximate the station.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved surface decorating machine, and particularly a surface decorating machine for square bottles.

Another object is the provision of a screen-type bottle decorating machine having screen frame movement in a straight line only for positive contact of confronting screens with a pair of opposite sides of a bottle or other workpiece.

A further object is to provide a screen-type bottle decorating machine wherein a bottle decorating station is arranged with respect to other portions of the machine to provide abundant clearance whereby an operator may place and remove a bottle at the decorating station speedily with assurance that the bottle decoration will not be touched or smeared.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the decorating machine;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section taken along line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line llL-III of FIG. 2 showing the cam arrangement of the invention for supporting the squeegee cylinders during vertical movement; and

FIG. 4 shows schematically the pneumatic circuit for operation of the decorating machine.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the seveal views, there is shown the mechanical features of the machine designated generally by the numeral 11. The machine 11 is provided with a rectangular base 12 with brackets 13 depending from the base corners to which are attached wheels 14 for ready re-location of the machine. A rear support post 15 of rigid material such as cold rolled steel is secured to the base 12 by an angle 16 welded or otherwise suitably joined to the post and base. The post 15 is an elongated rectangular member with its vertical centerline normal to and in alignment with a transverse centerline of the machine 11 from front to rear.

An elongated rectangular front post 17 is fixed by an angle 18 to the front marginal portion of the base 12 and extends vertically in horizontally-spaced parallel relationship to the rear post 15. The posts 15 and 17 are thus arranged in confronting spaced position on the base 12. A pair of uprights 19 are fixedly connected to the base 12 by angles 21 and are in parallel spaced relationship with axes in a vertical plane which includes the longitudinal centerline of the base and extend upwardly from the base side marginal portions. The uprights 19 are olfset from the transverse centerline of the base 12 such that the uprights and posts 15 and 17 join the base in an imaginary line which defines a rectangle.

The uppermost edges of the uprights 19 lie in a horizontal plane and are fastened to a crosspiece 22 on which are supported parallel gib bars 23 connected to the front support post 15 and to the rear support post 17. The gib bars 23 pass transversely on the crosspi-ece 22 within a groove 24 formed in the upper surface of the crosspiece. A slideway plate 25 of I shape cross section has the flanges 26 sandwiched securely between the gib bars 23 and a companion upper pair of gib bars 27 in vertical alignment with corresponding bars .23. The upper gib bars 27 are also connected firmly to the front and rear support posts 15 and 17, respectively. The arrangement of gib bars 23 and 27 secure the slideway plate 25 in a vertical plane. The gib bars 23 and 27 are each of a width to parallel the flanges 26 toward the longitudinal centerline of the slideway plate 25 whereby a space or passage is provided between each of the bars and the slideway plate non-flanged or stem portion.

Positioned for sliding movement in a horizontal direction on the opposite sides of the fixed slideway plate 25 are screen carriers comprising slides 28 having a reduced thickness along the top and bottom marginal edges. The slides 28 are rectangular in shape and the tops and bottoms are slideably disposed Within the passages formed between the bars 23, 27 and the slideway plate 25. The central areas of the slides 28 are uncovered and their outer surfaces extend to planes laterally past the planes including the outer surfaces of the outermost bars of the pairs of bars 23 and 27. By this arrangement the slides 28 slide on the opposite faces of the slideway plate 25 forward and backward on the machine. The slides 28 are received in sliding position on the slideway plate 25 either from the front support post'17 or the rear post i.e., the slides 28 will travel freely in the passages past the posts 15 and 17 and may be removed or installed on the machine readily in this manner.

Screen frames 29 with bases 31 are fastened securely to the slides 28, one for each slide on each side of the slideway plate and in confronting spaced relation to one another, by angle mounting brackets 32 fixed to the slides 23 by fasteners such as bolts 33, FIG. 1. Extending across each base 31 of the pair of frames 29 1s a decorating paint or material trough 34 removably connected to the frame sides 35. The rectangular configuration of the frame 29 is completed by a top piece 36 joined to the sides 35. Elongated strips 37 are releasably held by wing nuts 38 to ears 3? fixed to the sides of the frame, FIG. 1, by which screens are removably attached to the frames 29.

An anchor block 41 is fixed to the gib bars 27 and the upper flange 26 of the slideway plate 25, and is provided with a tapped bore 42 into which is threaded a shank 43 at its lower end. The upper end of the shank 43 is threadedly engaged to a base cup 44 on which is to be placed a square bottle 45 for decorating, and the cup adjusted vertically by the amount the shank 43 is threaded into the cup and the block 41. A guide key 46 fixed to the base cup 44 depends slideably within a keyway 47 formed in the block 41 to limit the cup to linear travel as the shank 43 is rotated for the positioning of a square bottle 45 at a desired height for decoration by screens carried by frames 2%.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a chuck 48 is arranged in vertical alignment with the neck of a square bottle 45, and is engageable with a bottle neck to hold the bottle stationary on the base cup 4-4 for the decorating operation. The chuck 48 is reciprocal in a vertical path by the action of a spring-loaded pneumatic cylinder 49. The neck chuck is adjustably fastened to a support arm 51 of parallel bars separated by a spacer block. The arm 51 is bent as at 52 from a vertical to a horizontal section, and a bracket 53 supports the chuck adjustably in both horizontal and vertical directions. The vertical section of the arm 51 is secured to the rear support post 15 and extends axially upwardly therefrom.

Squeegee stroke pneumatic cylinders 54 are mounted in fixed positions on elongated brackets 55 which are fastened to slides 23 for horizontal movement therewith. Piston rams 56 with extension rods 57 reciprocate in a vertical path. Clamps 5d are connected adjustably to the rods 57, and squeegee cylinders 59 are connected to the clamps 53 in a selected attitude. Squeegee heads 61 hold elongated squeegees 62 in position, and are connected for movement toward and from the screens of frames 29 through piston rods 63. Accordingly, the squeegees are positioned in horizontal locations by the horizontal travel of the slides 28 and by the action of cylinders 59; whereas they are moved vertically by the action of squeegee stroke cylinders 54.

The piston rods 56 of the squeegee stroke cylinders are limited in vertical extent of movement by bolts 64- threadedly passed through tapped openings in anchor blocks 65 secured to the brackets 55 on which are mounted the cylinders 54. The heads of the bolts s4 serve as stops in the paths of travel of guide bars 66 which are fixed to the lower ends of rods 56 of the squeegee stroke cylinders 54-.

In order to guide the piston rods 56 of the squeegee stroke cylinders 54 for vertical movement and to prevent outward movement of the piston rods under the force of squeegee cylinders 59, the arrangement best shown in FIG. 3 is provided. It comprises an upwardly extending cam 150 which engages a ball bearing 151 carried on the clamp 58, the arrangement being such that upon upward.

or downward movement of the squeegee cylinders 59, they will be guided by the cam 150 and ball bearing 151.

The frames 29 to which the screens, not shown, are removably attached travel horizontally with slides 28 toward and from a bottle 45 on base cup 44 by the followin manner: Turnbuckles 67 are pivotally joined to the brackets 55 by a pin and clevis connection 68, and the inner ends of the turnbuckles 67 are fixed to links 69 rigidly secured to a pivot shaft 71 supported for rotation within bearings 72 positioned on the uprights 19.

The shaft 71 is rocked by the action of a vertically reciprocating piston rod 73 of a pneumatic cylinder 74 which is pivotally supported on a mounting 75 fastened to one of the uprights 19 by an angle 76. The piston rod 73 is linked pivotally to a bar 77 joined to the pivot shaft '71 whereupon upward vertical travel of the rod 73 is transmitted to the bar 77 which rocks the shaft 71 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1. The clockwise rotation of the pivot shaft 71 is communicated to the turnbuckles 67, pulling the turnbuckles inwardly. This inward movement of the turnbuckles pulls the brackets 55 to which they are secured also inwardly. The slides 28 connected to brackets 55 are thus moved horizontally inwardly. On the return stroke of the piston rod 73, the turnbuckles 67 are caused to extend to the positions shown in FIG. 1, at which positions the frames 29 are separated at their maximum extent. When the brackets 55 move inwardly, the head of an adjusting screw 101A strikes a ball-actuated valve 101 for a purpose hereinafter described.

A trip cam 78 is mounted on a bearing block 79 via a shaft 81 to which is fixed a ratchet bar 82 with a clevis 82A at its end remote from the shaft 81. The block 79 is supported on the machine base 12 spaced from a cylinder 83 with its rod 84 pinned to the clevis at the end of the bar 82. Reciprocation of the rod 84 rotates the trip cam 78 whereupon a cam follower 85 rides in the notches and on the rises of the trip cam '78, the arrangement being such that on one stroke of the cylinder 83 the follower 85 will be on a rise of the cam, whereas on the next successive stroke, it will be in a notch, A toggle link 86 is connected to the follower 85 at one end, and pivots about a fulcrum 87 provided on a bifurcated arm 83 secured to the base 12. The end of the link 86 opposite the follower 85 has an elongated aperture through which a clevis pin is passed, the clevis being engaged with the end of a rod of a slide valve 89. The cam actuating cylinder 83 is connected pivotally to the base 12 at its end remote from the rod 84. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a control valve 91 is operated by a foot-pedal 92, FIG. 3.

Referring now to the pneumatic schematic of FIG. 4, fluid, such as air under pressure, is connected to a supply manifold 93. Although not shown herein each of the cylinders of FIG. 4 is provided with exhaust flow control valves in accordance with usual practice to regulate the speed of the cylinders upon actuation. The four-way control valve 91 is actuated by depressing of the footpedal 92 to connect conduits 95 and 96 to the manifold 93. When conduit 95 is thus connected to a source of pressure, fluid flows through check valve 126 and the neck chuck 48 is forced downwardly by neck chuck cylinder 49 to thereby clamp a bottle 45 in position for decorating. At the same time, fluid under pressure in conduit 96 pressurizes the lower end of cylinder 74 to thereby raise piston rod 73. In this process, the bar 77 s rotated in a clockwise clockwise direction as viewed in FIG; 1 to thereby rotate links 69 in a clockwise direction also. This causes the turnbuckles 67 to move inwardly and pull the carriers or brackets 55 which carry the screen frames 29 inwardly until the screens engage the sides of the bottle 45. When the screen frames 29 are thus pulled inwardly with the screens in engagement with the sides of the bottle, the valve 161 is actuated by adjusting screw 101A (FIG. 1) to connect the manifold C2 93 to conduit 102 while connecting conduit 103 to the atmosphere. When the conduit 102 is thus pressurized, the fluid will flow through a pilot-operated normally open valve 104 and thence through conduit 105 and a second pilot-operated normally open valve 106 to conduit 107. Fluid under pressure in conduit 107, in turn, actuates a pilot-operated normally closed valve 108 to connect the pressure manifold 93 to conduit 109. Thus, fluid under pressure flows from conduit 109 and through pressure regulator valves 110 and 111 to conduits 112 and 113, respectively, which are connected to the squeegee cylinders 59.

Reverting again to the conduit 102, when it is pressurized it pressurizes the lower end of cylinder 83 to advance the ratchet bar 32 as well as the cam 78, the result being that the valve 89 is actuated to connect manifold 93 to either conduit 114- or 115. As will be understood, each time the cylinder 83 is pressurized, the cam 78 is advanced through approximately 45, thereby reversing the connections between conduits 114 and 115 and the manifold 93. Thus, each time the cylinder 83 is pressurized, the valve 89 reverses. If, for example, the squeegees 62 are at the top of the screens, cylinder 83 will advance cam 78 such that manifold 93 will be connected to conduit 115, with the result that the upper ends of cylinders 54 will be pressurized to move the squeegees downwardly. When the next bottle is positioned for decorating, however, manifold 93 will be connected to conduit 114 to pressurize the lower ends of cylinders 54, thereby moving the squeegees upwardly. Thus, the squeegees move upwardly during decorating of one bottle, and thereafter move downwardly during decorating of the next successive bottle.

If it is assumed that the squeegees are at the lower limit of their travel, the valve 89, upon actuation of valve 101, will connect the manifold 93 to conduit 114, thereby conducting fluid under pressure to the lower ends of the cylinders 54 to raise the piston rods 56 and, hence, the squeegees. When the squeegees are thus raised and wiper across the silk screens, the bottle is decorated and the footpedal 92 released, thereby connecting the manifold 93 to conduit 120. When the conduit 12 is pressurized, it opens normally closed pilotoperated valve 121 to connect the manifold 93 to the upper end of cylinder 74, the result being that the piston rod 73 is moved downwardly to rotate bar 77 and the links 69 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby forcing the turnbuckles 76 outwardly and causing the screen frames 29 to also move outwardly away from the bottle. At this point, the bottle has been decorated and may be removed from the base cup 44 to permit a new bottle to be inserted for decoration.

It will be appreciated that as soon as the footpedal 92 is released, the manifold 93 becomes disconnected from manifold 95. At this time, however, the screen frames 29 have not as yet moved away from the bottle by actuation of cylinder 74; and since it is desired to maintain the bottle securely clamped until the screens are withdrawn, some means must be provided for preventing the springreturn neck chuck cylinder 49 from elevating the neck chuck 48 until after the screens have been moved outwardly. For this purpose, the conduit 102 is connected through a normally open pilot-operated valve 123 to a conduit 124 which is connected to the conduit 95 above the check valve 126. As shown, the check valve will permit fluid under pressure to flow upwardly in conduit 95, but will prevent the flow of fluid downwardly therethrough and back into the four-way control valve 91 to the atmosphere. Consequently, any fluid released from the neck chuck cylinder 49 must pass through conduit 124, the valve 123, and conduit 127 to a point beneath the check valve 126.

When the footpedal 92 is initially depressed, fluid will flow through the check valve 126 and into the neck chuck cylinder 4-9. At the same time, fluid under pressure will flow through conduit 127 to close the normally open valve 123. When, however, the footpedal 92 is released, the pressure in conduit 127 is released with the result that the valve 123 opens. Fluid must now escape from the neck chuck cylinder 49 through the valve 123, conduit 102, and valve 101 to the atmosphere. Since, hoW- ever, the valve 101 is not released to connect conduit 1&2 to the atmosphere until the screens move away from the bottle, it will be appreciated that the neck chuck cylinder 49 will not be released and the neck chuck 48 will move upwardly until the screens have moved away from the bottle.

It will be appreciated that it is undesirable to have the squeegees 62 move into contact with the screens unless a bottle is in position for decorating. Otherwise, the force of the squeegees on the screen might damage them. In order to prevent inward movement of the squeegees 62 with no bottle present, the valve 106 is used. Its pilot port 128 is connected through conduit 129 to the lower end of the squeegee cylinder 49, the arrangement being such that with no bottle present for decorating, the chuck 48 and the piston Within the cylinder 49 will move downwardly a suflicient distance to pressurize the conduit 129, thereby closing the normally open valve 106. When valve 106 closes, it prevents fluid under pressure in conduit from passing to conduit 107. Consequently, the squeegees 62 cannot be moved inwardly during this time.

Under normal operating conditions when valve 106 is open, the valve 108 will connect conduit 109 to the manifold 93 until the screens move away from the bottle and valve 101 is reversed to connect conduit 102 to the atmosphere. At this time, the pressure in conduit 107 will fall and Valve 108 will connect conduit 109 to the atmosphere, permitting air from the squeegee cylinders 59, which are spring-loaded, to be expelled through valve 108 via check valves 130 and 131.

In the operation of the device as just described, the piston rams 56 moved upwardly during one cycle of operation and downwardly during the next successive cycle. In certain cases, however, it may be desirable to have the rams and the Squeegees move upwardly for each decorating cycle. This may be accomplished by replacing the ratchet bar 82 shown in FIG. 1 with a rigid connecting bar such that when the piston of cylinder 83 moves outwardly upon pressurization of conduit 102, valve 89 will connect the manifold 93 to conduit 114; whereas when conduit 103 is pressurized as the screens move away from the bottle, the piston of cylinder 83 will be pressurized in the opposite direction to then connect the manifold 93 to conduit 115. In this manner, it can be seen that the piston rams 56 and the squeegees carried thereby will move upwardly during a decorating operation and then downwardly preparatory to a succeeding decorating operation such that the squeegees will always move in an upward stroke as paint is being applied to the bottle.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers adapted to receive decorating screens in upright position and in horizontally spaced relation, means supporting said screen carriers for horizontal straight-line movement toward and away from each other, a holding device comprising upper and lower workpiece engaging members for holding a workpiece to be decorated between said screen carriers, said means supporting said screen carriers being disposed at the ends of said screen carriers whereby free access is provided to said holding device through either of the adjacent sides of said screen carriers, Squeegees individual to the screen carriers, an arm supporting the upper workpiece engaging member and having a vertical portion positioned in general alignment with the path of travel of the screen carriers, and piston motors'mounted on said carriers and including vertical piston rods connected to said squeegees for moving the squeegees up and down.

2. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers adapted to receive decorating screens in upright position and in horizontally spaced relation, means supporting said screen carriers for horizontal straight-line movement toward and away from each other, a holding device comprising upper and lower workpiece engaging members for holding a workpiece to be decorated between said screen carriers, said means supporting said screen carriers being disposed at the lower ends of said screen carriers whereby free access is provided to said holding device through either of the adjacent sides of said screen carriers, squeegees individual to the screen carriers, an arm supporting the upper workpiece engaging member and having a vertical portion positioned in general alignment with the path of travel of the screen carriers and adjacent to the squeegee of one of said screen carriers, piston motors mounted on said carriers and including vertical piston rods connected to said squeegees for moving the squeegees up and down, and means operable when a workpiece is centered between the screen carriers for causing the squeegees to bear against the screens during a decorating operation.

3. The decorating apparatus of claim 2 wherein the squeegees bear against the screens during both their up and down movements.

4. The decorating apparatus of claim 2 wherein the squeegees bear against the screens only during their upward movement and are retracted during their downward movement.

5. .Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers adapted to receive decorating screens in upright position and in horizontally spaced relation, means supporting said screen carriers for horizontal straight-line movement toward and away from each other, a holding device comprising upper and lower workpiece engaging members for holding a workpiece to be decorated between said screen carriers, said means supporting said screen carriers being disposed along the path of travel of and below said screen carriers whereby free access is provided to said holding device for the introduction of workpieces through one pair of adjacent carrier sides and for the withdrawal of said workpieces through the other pair of adjacent carrier sides, squeegees individual to the screen carriers, an arm supporting the upper workpiece engaging member and having a vertical portion positioned in general alignment with the path of travel of the screen carriers and at the side of one of the screen carriers opposite the holding device, piston motors mounted on said carriers and including vertical piston rods connected to said squeegees fonmoving the squeegees up and down, means including a manually-operated valve for causing said screen carriers to move inwardly toward each other until the screens received by said carriers engage the sides of a workpiece to be decorated, and apparatus actuable when said screens engage the sides of a workpiece to be decorated for causing the squeegees to bear against the screens. 7

6. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers adapted to receive decorating screens in upright position and in horizontally spaced relation, means supporting said screen carriers for horizontal straight-line movement toward and away from each other, a holding device comprising upper and lower workpiece engaging members for holding a workpiece to be decorated between said screen carriers, said means supporting said screen carriers being disposed at the lower ends of said screen carriers whereby free access. is. provided to said holding device through either of the adjacent sides of said screen carriers, squeegees individual to the screen carriers, an arm supporting the upper workpiece engaging member and having a vertical portion positioned in general alignment with the path of travel of the screen carriers and at the side of one of the screen carriers opposite the holding device, piston motors mounted on said carriers and including vertical piston rods connected to said squeegees for moving the squeegees up and down, means including a manually-operated valve for causing said screen carriers to move toward each other until the decorating screens received by the carriers engage the sides of a workpiece to be decorated, means actuable when said screens engage the sides of a workpiece to be decorated for causing the squeegees to bear against said screens during a decorating operation, and means actuable when said screens engage the sides of a workpiece to be decorated for causing said piston motors to move said carriages in a vertical direction to thereby wipe the squeegees across the screens received by said screen carriers.

7. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers adapted to receive decorating screens in upright position and in horizontally space relation, means supporting said screen carriers for horizontal straight-line movement toward and away from each other, a holding device for holding a workpiece to be decorated between said screen carriers, said means supporting said screen carriers being disposed at the lower ends of said screen carriers whereby free access is provided to said holding device through either of the adjacent sides of said screen carriers, said holding device including a vertically reciprocable chuck adapted to engage the top of a workpiece to be decorated and piston motor means for moving said chuck downwardly into engagement with the top of a workpiece to be decorated, an arm supporting said piston motor means and having a vertical portion positioned in general alignment with the path of travel of the screen carriers and at the side of one of the screen carriers opposite the holding device, squeegees individual to the screen carriers, fluid motors mounted on said carriers and including vertical piston rods connected to said squeegees for moving the squeegees up and down, means for causing the squeegees to bear against the screens during a decorating operation, means including a manually-operated valve for causing said piston motor to force said chuck downwardly into engagement with the top of a workpiece to be decorated while causing said screen carriers to move toward each other until the screens received by the carriers engage opposite sides of a workpiece to be decorated, means operable when said screens engage the opposite sides of a workpiece to be decorated for causing said squeegees to bear against the screens, means operable when said screens engage the opposite sides of a workpiece to be decorated for causing said fluid motors to move the piston rods in a vertical direction whereby the squeegees will be wiped across said screens, and means controlled by said manually-operated valve at the completion of a decorating operation for causing release of said squeegees, release of said chuck, and outward movement of said screen carriers.

8. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers adapted to receive decorating screens in upright position and in horizontally spaced relation, means supporting said screen carriers for horizontal straight-line movement toward and away from each other, a holding device comprising upper and lower workpiece engaging members for holding a workpiece to be decorated between said screen carriers said means supporting said screen carriers being disposed at the lower ends of said screen carriers whereby free access is provided to said holding device through either of the adjacent sides of said screen carriers, squeegees individual to the screens received by said carriers, an arm supporting the upper workpiece engaging member and having a vertical portion positioned in general alignment with the path of travel of the screen carriers and at the side of one of the screen carriers opposite the holding device, carriages on which the squeegees are mounted, a motor operatively connected to said carriers for moving them along a horizontal path of travel, a motor connected to operate said holding device, a motor operatively connected to said carriages, and manually-controlled means for causing the motors to operate automatically in a predetermined order.

9. Decorating apparatus comprising a pair of upright screen carriers adapted to receive decorating screens in upright position and in horizontally spaced relation, means for mounting said screen carriers for horizontal sliding movement toward and away from each other, a holding device for holding a workpiece to be decorated between said screen carriers, squeegee individual to the screen carriers, carriages on which the squeegees are mounted, the carriages being mounted for vertical sliding movement on the screen carriers, piston motors mounted on said carriers and including vertical piston rods connected to the carriages for moving the carriages up and down, and means for moving said screen carriers inwardly and outwardly with respect to a workpiece in said holding device, said latter-mentioned means comprising a generally horizontal rotatable shaft intermediate said carriers, links projecting radially outwardly from said shaft and spaced substantially 180 apart, linkages connecting the radially outward ends of said links to said carriers, and means for rotating said shaft.

10. The decorating apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for rotating said shaft comprises a generally vertical fluid motor having a vertically reciprocable piston rod therein, and a linkage connecting said piston rod to said rotatable shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,174,298 Whjsner Sept. 26, 1939 2,383,947 Wensel et a1. Sept. 4, 1945 2,461,281 Jackson et a1. Feb. 8, 1949 2,845,859 Gattuso Aug. 5, 1958 

1. DECORATING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT SCREEN CARRIERS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE DECORATING SCREENS IN UPRIGHT POSITION AND IN HORIZANTALLY SPACED RELATION, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SCREEN CARRIERS FOR HORIZONTAL STRAIGHT-LINE MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, A HOLDING DEVICE COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER WORKPIECE ENGAGING MEMBER FOR HOLDING A WORKPIECE TO BE DECORATED BETWEEN SAID SCREEN CARRIERS, SAID MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SCREEN CARRIERS BEING DISPOSED AT THE ENDS OF SAID SCREEN CARRIERS WHEREBY FREE ACCESS IS PROVIDED TO SAID HOLDING DEVICE THROUGH EITHER OF THE ADJACENT SIDES OF SAID SCREEN CARRIERS, SQUEEGEES INDIVIDUAL TO THE SCREEN CARRIERS, AN ARM SUPPORTING THE UPPER WORKPIECE ENGAGING MEMBER AND HAVING A VERTICAL PORTION POSITIONED IN GENERAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE SCREEN CARRIERS, AND PISTON MOTORS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIERS AND IN- 